FDA

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel voted to ban popular over-the-counter cold products intended for children under the age of 6.

The panel decided that there is no evidence that OTC cough and cold medicines have any effect on younger kids - and that more studies need to be done.

"The data that we have now is they don't seem to work," said Sean Hennessy, one of the FDA experts asked to examine the group of medicines.

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A new at-home screening test, called Fertell, lets prospective parents find out if they have fertility problems without stepping into a doctor’s office. The test is the first at-home device to measure the concentration of motile sperm.

In Spring 2007, federal drug regulators started a broad review of the safety of popular cough and cold remedies meant for children.

In higher than normal doses, cold medicines can affect the heart’s electrical system, leading to arrhythmias. Some medicines affect the blood vessels and, in high doses, have been associated with hypertension and stroke. In rare cases, children have been injured even when given recommended doses.